Being away to attend the General Assembly of The Alliance Canada (aka The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada), and especially the extended travel time due to weather--it took me 30 hours to reach Calgary--gave me a few extra moments to finish reading a book on Psalm 119 written by Stephen Yuille. I definitely recommend The Path of Life: Blessedness in Seasons of Lament.

This is an excellent exposition of the "Great Psalm", and Yuille's expertise on the Puritans is an added bonus as he examines the longest chapter in the Bible. His wise and winsome use of nuggets from Thomas Manton's 190 sermons on Psalm 119 is appreciated. Dr. Yuille serves as Professor of Church History in the School of Theology at Southwestern Theological Seminary. Prior to his service at Southwestern, Dr. Yuille was the Vice President of Academics and Academic Dean of College at Heritage Baptist College and Seminary in Cambridge, Ontario. He has many connections to London, Ontario and was recently a part-time Preaching Pastor at Redemption Bible Chapel.

In the 25th chapter of The Path of Life, Yuille considers Psalm 119:164 which reads in the ESV, "Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules." Focusing on the word "praise", Yuille writes,

Everyone knows what praise is. We engage in it every day. A mother praises her infant son; a father praise his teenage daughter; a man praise an athlete for her talent; a woman praise an artist for his technique. We praise when we see something beautiful, hear something wonderful, taste something delectable, or experience something enjoyable. Prais eis our way of expressing our esteem for someone of something.

When it comes to God, Yuille indicates that we praise God because he is great, and then he wrote a line that stuck with me since reading it in the airport in Calgary as I prepared to return home from Assembly: "God is so great that He lowers himself to take notice of his creation."

When I arrived in Calgary, and drove to the AirBnB that I would be staying at, I remember the experience of driving south of Calgary with the Rocky mountains coming into view as I crested a hill. For us easterners, the sight of the Rockies is always special. The sublime and surprising view of a mountain range for someone like me is always an enjoyable experience. But even the most glorious spectacles of creation on the continent require God to condescend that he might appreciate them.

Niagara Falls.

The Grand Canyon.

California redwoods.

The Bay of Fundy.

Any other beautiful phenomenon in nature, inside or outside of North America, and our great God still condescends to take notice of it.

His condescension isn't one of contempt; he made these things after all. His condescension is the simple reality for a being that is great beyond any ability humans have to comprehend. As Psalm 145:3 ESV declares, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable."

Perhaps today is a day to praise our good God becasue he is great. Maybe today is a day to praise him seven times.